Assam water resources minister Rajiv Lochan Pegu, here on Tuesday said that outlawed Ulfa has served extortion notices to all panchayat and ward committee members including the prominent Congress party workers in Majuli River Island in Upper Assam.
Clarifying the charges in the local media and that he himself was compelled to pay Ulfa, Mr Pegu told this newspaper that local media has twisted his speech in a public meeting but this is a fact that each and every residents of Majuli, which may pay, has been served extortion notices by the Ulfa.Pointing out that Pradip Baruah, a hardcore Ulfa leader, was calling up panchayat and ward committee members to pay the money as contribution to the organisation, Mr Pegu who is elected from Majuli river island said. “I was very upset over the failure of the security forces in taking action against Ulfa rebels,” he added.
It is significant that the Majuli police arrested Manash Jyoti Hazarika of Kamalabari, the ex-president of Majuli Youth Congress and Bijoy Dole, panchayat president of Ahotguri GP for their nexus with Ulfa on October 17. Security sources while confirming the extortion by Ulfa told this newspaper that two top Ulfa leaders Narayan Medhi and Rajiv Das were operating from Majuli but now they have shifted their hideouts to some new locations.
Asserting that more than subversive activities, Ulfa was focusing on extortion, security sources not only confirmed the revelation of minister but also informed that similar extortion drive has been started by Ulfa rebels in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivsagar districts as well. Informing that panchayat and ward committee members are the new target of Ulfa’s extortion network, security sources said that they had input on some of the ministers also getting calls from top Ulfa leaders but it was not know if they have really paid to them or not.